Jumeirah Earth

The uphill par-five 18th asks for one final piece of judgement, stretching beyond 650 yards from the back tees with a stream influencing every stage from the tee shot onwards. It completes the final four holes that Greg Norman called the Hardest Mile in Golf, a demanding close to this 7,706 yard, par 72 championship course. The Earth Course gives good width from the tee, yet the ground movement can leave uneven lies and testing angles into generously sized greens with pronounced slopes. More than 100 bunkers, lakes and streams keep the focus on position, while white sand makes the hazards unmistakable. Miss the target by too much and the rough takes over, though the redwood chippings beyond it provide a useful marker when searching for a ball. The green tees reduce the course to 7,045 yards, while the teal tees play at 6,473 yards.

Greg Norman’s design has the unexpected appearance of parkland in Dubai, with more than 3,500 trees lining the fairways throughout Jumeirah Golf Estates. Opened in 2009, it now hosts the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, and the scale of the closing stretch explains why a composed finish matters here. There is worthwhile preparation available at the European Tour Performance Institute centre, one of only two of its kind worldwide. The clubhouse gives the day an easy rhythm either side of the round, with spacious changing rooms, a pro shop, lounges and several places for food and drink. A terrace overlooking the 19th hole is well placed for a cold drink or dinner once the scorecard has been signed, and the swimming pool offers a welcome way to slow down after a warm afternoon on the course.